1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing system and a data processing method. The present invention is preferably used for, for example, a dialog performed when a document file, which has been previously managed, is processed.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, in the fields of document management system and job management system, many user-friendly systems have been proposed. Examples of such systems include a system which temporarily stores a document, which is inputted from the input means connected to the system, and allows the user to process the stored document via a user interface (hereinafter, user interface occasionally referred to as “UI”).
Japanese patent application laid-open (Kokai) gazette 7-84748 (No. 84748/1995) (literature 1) proposes an invention in which an icon indicative of a device is allocated to a folder, and the icon displayed is switched by the device depending on whether or not the device is in a usable state, thereby showing the user intelligibly whether or not the device is in a usable state. Literature 1 proposes another invention in which icons each representing a job are defined, and when a document is dropped on one of the icons, the processing of the job allocated to the icon is performed.
On the other hand, there is proposed a system which automatically selects, when the system processes an input document, a device suitable for the document.
Japanese patent application laid-open (Kokai) gazette 8-202607 (No. 202607/1996) (literature 2) proposes an invention of a filing system. In this invention, processings to be performed, such as facsimile transmission, mail transmission, image transformation, and printing, are stored beforehand in a document storage area, and when a document is prepared in the storage area, a specified processing is performed. However, this invention does not provide a user interface (UI) through which the user can process a document thus temporarily stored.
Meanwhile, in many cases, even though processing devices connected to a system are common in their basic functions, their detailed features (functional specifications) are different. For example, in the case of printers, even though several printers have commonly the same “printing function”, their detailed functional specifications are different, depending on the respective printers, with respective to color/monochrome, resolution, sheet size, image drawing area, allowable position for stapling, allowable position for hole punching (i.e., hole piercing), and the like. Similarly, in the case of scanners, the ranges (i.e., their detailed functional specifications) supported by the respective devices are different with respect to color/monochrome, resolution, sheet size, and so on; in the case of facsimile machines, the ranges supported by the respective devices are different with respect to resolution, compression form, and so on.
Further, even where the functions of the respective devices are constituted not as hardware devices but as software modules, their functional specifications are different. For example, mail servers, each having a mail transmission function, have different maximum data transmission volumes depending on the respective mailer servers.
When the user intends to process a document, he fails, in some cases, to obtain his desired results due to the difference in functional specifications. Examples of such a case include: a case where, although an intended processing was color printing, the actually executed printing is printing as black and white; a case where, although the intended processing was facsimile transmission in a super fine mode, the actually executed processing is transmission in a standard mode; and a case where, although the user thinks he succeeded in transmitting an E-mail, a size excess error occurs and an error mail is returned.
In such cases, the user needs to perform the processing again. Accordingly, such a reattempt requires the user to take much time, in particular, when the data amount of the document is large. Also, repeated retrials to avoid such errors require him to take much labor.
Further, the invention of the literature 2 is so configured that the function of automatically judging the devices to be used is provided for the purpose of enhancing efficiency of the processing. However, according to this automatic judgment algorithm, judgment results are obtained on the basis of previously provided judgment criteria, so that this configuration does not ensure that the judgment result is always optimum (or acceptable) to the user.
For example, the printer selected by the system may be a printer having the highest resolution out of the printers having resolutions suitable for the document; however, in view of the fact that the printer selected by the system is located remotely from the user, he may wish to select a printer located just near him even though the nearby printer has a slightly lower resolution.
In short, the function of automatically selecting a device may be useful for reducing the operational load applied to the user when performing the processing, but the automatic selecting function does not necessarily ensure that the device thus selected provides his truly desired processing.